Greece is going to space. Adrianos Golemis, a Greek doctor and ESA member for the past eight years, has been officially ...

Greece is going to space. Adrianos Golemis, a Greek doctor and ESA member for the past eight years, has been officially confirmed as the first Greek person to travel to space, with his mission scheduled for 2027. Golemis will fly aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft as a mission specialist on a private ESA mission, made possible through NASA's commercial astronaut program. He will spend two weeks aboard the International Space Station conducting experiments and measurements whose results are expected to have applications across multiple scientific fields. Proposals for what those experiments will cover are currently being evaluated by the Hellenic Space Centre and ESA, with submissions coming from private companies, universities, and research institutions. The 400-kilometer journey comes with a physical cost Golemis knows well, having spent eight years as a flight surgeon supporting astronauts on orbit. He described the first days in microgravity with clinical detachment: the face swells, sleep is often impossible due to the sensation of free fall, and nausea or vomiting are common. His position is that the body adapts, and with a two-week mission the changes are predictable and manageable, leaving the crew free to focus on research. His training will take him to the United States, France, and Japan. He has already begun some modules of the Astronaut Reserve Training program. On fitness, he was clear that astronauts don't need Olympic-level conditioning, just consistent sleep routines, proper nutrition, and baseline physical fitness. When asked about fear, Golemis said there is pressure and anxiety for the mission to go well, but no specific fear. His answer on how to deal with it: trust the process and the people around you. #Greece #Space #ESA